United States Environmental Issues. Review of Environmental Issues Causes and Effects.

United States Environmental Issues

Review of Environmental Issues

Causes and Effects

Environmental Problems:Cause and Effects

• Climate Change – Causes:

• Added Carbon Dioxide • Human activities

– Effects• Coastal flooding • Increase sea levels• Temperatures will rise

and become extreme• Broaden the range of

some diseases, pest, insects

• Destroy forest

• Ozone Depletion:– Causes

• Chemicals containing chlorine and bromine

• CFC’s (chlorofluorocarbons)

– Effects• Depletion of the Ozone


• Acid Rain– Causes

• Nitrogen and sulfur emitted through the burning of fossil fuels

– Effects• Acids leach nutrients

from trees• Kills off fish• Destroys lakes and

forest


• Water pollution – Causes

• Acid Rain • DDT• Oil Spills

– Effects • 15% world does not

have access to safe drinking water

• Global weather patterns shift


• Deforestation – Causes

• Clearing of trees • Poor farming practices • Cattle grazing

– Effects• Soil erosion• Reduced vegetation • Reduction in arable

land• Up the pace of climate

change


• Biodiversity– Causes

• Deforestation• Water pollution• Acid rain• Ozone depletion • Climate change

– Effects• Loss of new medicines,

food, technologies• Loss of ecosystems



• Contributors to pollution– Power Plants– Coal Factories– Oil Industry

• Older outdated factories emit more pollutants into the air

• Fertilizers– Along the Mississippi

• Wash into Gulf of Mexico

• Promote the growth of algae

– Florida • Used in sugarcane

fields • Killed plants and wildlife

in the everglades



• Dams– Columbia and Snake

rivers• Block the path of

migrating salmon

– Population growth• Fight between Arizona

and California for water

– Ecosystems are destroyed

• Alternative energy resources for – Solar Power– Wind Power

• Eco-Friendly:– Cars– Factories– Products

• Joining the International Community in the protection of the earth

• Conservation

Environmental Problems:Solutions

Exxon Valdez Accident in Alaska

• Place: Prince William Sound, Alaska

• Oil Tanker ran aground • Although actions were

taken to stop the spread the oil spread hundreds of miles along the Alaskan coast line

• “The clean-up is not proceeding well” Exxon Shipping president, Frank Larossi

• In 2004, a federal judge in Alaska ordered Exxon to pay $4.5bn in damages for the Valdez oil spill, the largest in US history. It emerged that the Exxon Valdez had dumped 11 million US gallons of crude oil and contaminated about 1,300 miles of coastline.

• 250,000 seabirds, nearly 3,000 sea otters, 300 harbor seals, 250 bald eagles and up to 22 killer whales died as a result of the spill.


• Exxon captain, Joseph Hazelwood, admitted drinking vodka before boarding the vessel, but was subsequently acquitted of operating a ship while intoxicated.

• The Exxon Valdez was repaired and renamed the Sea River Mediterranean and is working in the Atlantic although it is banned from returning to Alaska.


United States Environmental Issues. Review of Environmental Issues Causes and Effects.

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